A Personal Tour of Modern Irish History

In April 1989, a newspaper clipping about an art exhibit landed in the mailbox of the Rev. Donald Wildmon, the founder of a conservative evangelical group, the American Family Association. Partly funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, the exhibit included a now-infamous p ... Show More

In 2024, The New York Times Book Review gathered more than 500 novelists, nonfiction writers, poets and literary enthusiasts to help pick the best books of the 21st century so far. One of those books was Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “The Road,” which came in at ... Show More

June is here and the long summer days are stretching out ahead, which means it’s time to settle in front of the air-conditioner with a pile of books. (Just us?) But which ones should you read this summer? The “Book Review” podcast’s Gilbert Cruz talks with the Book Review editors ... Show More

<p><br></p><p>The 1930s stood out as one of the most dramatic decades in modern history. Fascism was on the rise, and Europe was hurtling towards the Second World War.</p><p>However, it was a peculiar time in Ireland. The Revolutionary Era was firmly in the rearview, and the opti ... Show More

<p>The 1950s were a dismal time in Ireland. While the economy tanked, the catholic church, at the height of its power, maintained strict control over social life. Desperate to find a better life, nearly 500,000 Irish people emigrated. This staggering figure was equivalent to 80% ... Show More

<p>At the turn of the 20th century alcoholism was a major problem in Irish society. The island had 17,300 pubs while around 40% of all prison sentences were alcohol related. There was a general sense alcohol addiction was out of control. The stereotype of the happy-go-lucky drunk ... Show More

<p>Irland Redaktion was a Nazi radio station established during the Second World War. It's sole purpose was to shape and influence Irish public opinion in favour of the Nazis. In this episode I am joined by William Quinlan, the winner of the Irish History Summit RSR competition. ... Show More

<p><em>Olive's unpublished diary and letters reveal a story of war, revolution and scandalous relationships in Ireland during the War of Independence.</em></p><br><p>After being raised in splendour with servants taking care of her every need (<a href="https://play.acast.com/s/iri ... Show More

<p>Between 1845 - 1855 over two million people left Ireland to escape hunger, poverty and disease during the Great Hunger. The experience of these emigrants was often harrowing. The term Coffin Ship has became synonymous with their journeys across the Atlantic.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Wh ... Show More

<p>New York, Boston, and Chicago dominate the history of Irish migration to the United States. However by 1900 one of the most Irish cities in the US was Butte Montana. Situated high in the Rocky mountains, Butte was just one of hundreds of Irish communities dotted across the Ame ... Show More

<p>In 1895 Bridget Cleary made international news after she was burned to death in South Tipperary. Rumours circulated she had been accused of being a witch. Could this be true? On the eve of the 20th century a woman was burned as a witch in Ireland. This podcast tells the full s ... Show More

<p><em>**This is the second of two episodes on the story of Irish people who fought in the French Resistance. Part I was released last week.**</em></p><br><p>Few Irish people recognise the names Sr Katherine Anne McCarthy or Patricia O'Sullivan. However during the Second World Wa ... Show More

Kate Elizabeth Russell is a writer, based in Oregon. Her debut novel, My Dark Vanessa, was published in 2020 and has been translated into thirty-five languages. It’s been both a Sunday Times Bestseller and a New York Times Bestseller. Stephen King himself described it as ‘a hard ... Show More